Jacksonville gets the July Fourth holiday weekend started Friday with its patriotic spectacular “Our Flag Was Still There.”

Cabot, Sherwood and Ward have parades, ceremonies, special activities and fireworks all slated for Monday.

Gates at Jacksonville High School’s Jan Crow Stadium open at 6 p.m. for Friday’s freedom celebration.

The event includes local singers, an 80-member choir, a multi-media spectacular, reenactments of historical events and close with a fireworks final complete with 3-D glasses. Last year more than 3,500 people attended the event which honors military members, emergency professional and teachers.

Cabot

Cabot’s salute this year will focus primarily on military members in the area, across the state and throughout the nation. The event, “Welcome Home the Troops Celebration,” will be at the Cabot High School stadium Monday. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and activities will start at 7 p.m.

“The entire event is to honor our military,” explained Karen Davis, operations director for Cabot. Among the events will be a “Missing In Action” performance by members of the Little Rock Air Force Base.

There will also be local entertainers including the band, Praise the Band. “We’ll even have free ice cream for the first 1,000 people in the gate,” Davis said. Band boosters will operate concession stands. Entertainment will start about 6 p.m. and go until the fireworks finale. “The fireworks will be about 9 or 9:15. Whenever it gets good and dark,” Davis said.

Sherwood

Sherwood’s Family Fourth of July Celebration will also be Monday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Sherwood Forest, 1111 W. Maryland Ave. A free flag will be given to everyone who attends.

Individuals will also be able to buy bricks for the city’s veterans’ memorial. Each brick costs $100, and construction of the memorial will start in August.

The city will also provide free shuttle bus service from Sylvan Hills High School parking lot to Sherwood Forest.

There will be free hamburgers, hot dogs, soda and chips, along with entertainment by Steve Perry and Friends, The Highway 5 Band, Mabel Seelinger, the “Legends Live On” performers and the Radio Disney Party Patrol, and then fireworks.

Ward

Ward starts off its Fourth of July activities at 4 p.m. Monday with a parade along Highway 367 to the ballfields.

After the parade there will be all kinds of fun, family activities, arts and crafts booths and food will be served from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and entertainment will start at 6 p.m. and go until the fireworks show, about 9:15.

The Little Rock Air Force Base will also have a fireworks show and picnic at the large base lake. Activities start at 3 p.m. and go until the fireworks show at 9:30. “There’ll be music, food and games,” said Lt. John Quinlan, a base spokesman.All the events are free.